Discover 3 Fairytale Castles Found in Virginia

Virginia is one of the oldest colonies in the United States, though it is not medieval. Why, then, does it have castles? To find out, let’s look at three castles in Virginia.

Bacon’s Castle

Bacon’s Castle is the oldest brick residence in North America. It was built in 1665 for Arthur Allen and was first known as Allen’s Brick House. Nathaniel Bacon’s men occupied it during Bacon’s Rebellion. Bacon’s Rebellion was an uprising that began in 1676 when the colonial governor refused to drive Native Americans out of the territory. After this, people called it Bacon’s Castle. Thousands of citizens led by Bacon marched on Jamestown, set the torch to it, and drove the governor out. It took many years for British troops to stamp out the pockets of resistance that had their roots in this uprising.

The house is the only surviving Jacobean great house in the United States. The Garden Club of Virginia installed a 17th-century English garden around the house. In the 1960s, the federal government designated it as a National Landmark. Finally, in the 1970s, it was purchased by Preservation Virginia, which carries out preservation activities even while guests tour the property.

Is It Open to the Public?

Preservation Virginia operates Bacon’s Castle as a museum and historic site. It is open to the public: the preservation society posts hours and ticket prices on the website.

Where Is It Located?

Bacon’s Castle is in Surry County, near the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area, between Cobham and Burwell Bays.

Wildlife Near the Castle

Wildlife near the castle includes mammals such as white-tailed deer, raccoons, coyotes, river otters, Virginia opossums, bobcats, muskrats, beavers, and nutria. There are also great blue herons, bald eagles, egrets, osprey, and wild turkeys. Reptiles include box turtles, watersnakes, eastern fence lizards, snapping turtles, and eastern copperheads. Amphibians in the area include southern toads, eastern newts, green tree frogs, and marbled salamanders.

Bull Run Castle

Bull Run Castle is a unique residence. From 1980 to 1999, original owner John Miller worked at fashioning, on the property he purchased, a fully functioning and defensible modern castle. The building is a pastiche of brick and cinder block, complete with five-inch thick steel girded doors. It has corner towers, a keep, and arrow loops for defensive weaponry.

Is It Open to the Public?

The original owner has sold the property, which is currently closed to the public. The last public activities to occur at the house were yard sales, which occurred occasionally from 2019 to 2021.

Where Is It Located?

Bull Run Castle is located just off of Monroe-Madison Memorial Highway in Loudoun County.

Wildlife Near the Castle

Wildlife located around the Bull Run Castle includes mammals like white-tailed deer, Virginia opossums, coyotes, striped skunks, American beavers, minks, muskrats, groundhogs, and the American black bear. Reptiles in the area include common box turtles, watersnakes, eastern rat snakes, and broad-headed skinks. Birds include northern cardinals, great blue herons, and turkey vultures.

Melrose Castle

Brothers James and Edward Murray built Melrose Castle between 1856 and 1860. The Gothic Revival building was designed to resemble Melrose Abbey from their Scottish homeland. It has a three-story tall octagonal tower and notches along the parapet.

Union soldiers occupied it during the Civil War, and the Confederacy later used it as a hospital for Confederate soldiers. After a visit to the house, Mary Roberts Rinehart was inspired to write the mystery novel The Circular Staircase.

Is It Open to the Public?

Melrose Castle is a private residence and is not open to the public.

Where Is It Located?

The house sits on 24 acres in Fauquier County, north of the Village of Casanova.

Wildlife Near the Castle

Wildlife near Melrose includes beavers, groundhogs, black bears, red foxes, Virginia opossums, and striped skunks. In the skies throughout Fauquier County, you will find eastern bluebirds, northern cardinals, American kestrels, red-headed woodpeckers, and red-tailed hawks. Wild turkeys roost in the trees and forage on the ground. Reptiles around the castle include box turtles, rat snakes, garter snakes, snapping turtles, and eastern milksnakes. Eastern red-backed salamanders, American toads, eastern newts, green frogs, and pickerel frogs are amphibians living in the area.

Summary of 3 Castles in Virginia

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD / CC BY-SA 4.0 – License / Original